Powhatan Courthouse State Park

Powhatan, pronounced "Pow-uh-TAN," with accents on the first and last syllables, was named for the Indian chief Powhatan, whose three empires in the early 17th century covered most of eastern Virginia. Powhatan was the father of Pocahontas.

Long before Powhatan was incorporated as a town, the area was occupied by Osage Indians. In 1817, they were moved onto reservations outside the state.

In 1820, John Ficklin established a ferry on the Black River and built a house on the hill northwest of the ferry. The house, destroyed by fire during the Civil War, was probably the first residence of Powhatan. Historians give Ficklin credit as the town's founder.

The first steamboat to arrive at Powhatan—the Laurel—docked at Ficklin Ferry in 1829. Cargo and passengers arrived and embarked from sternwheelers and keel boats, and crossed the rivers on ferries. Ficklin Ferry, on the Black River, was once described as "the most accessible point at all seasons of the year from Jacksonport to Pocahontas."

This ferry, later called the Powhatan Ferry, increased in importance into the 1880s. Powhatan was the chief shipping point for a large territory. Steamboat passengers boarded at Powhatan to travel down the Black and White Rivers, then up or down the Mississippi to their final destinations. Eventually, steamboat transportation declined and was used mostly by the timber business. Powhatan began its decline when the Frisco Railroad bypassed the town, roads improved, and rail travel began to overtake river passage as the preferred method of transportation.

Changes in transportation, the impact of two World Wars, and the Great Depression, were among the key factors leading to Powhatan's transformation from thriving prosperity to quiet existence. The last ferry shut down in the 1950's, the suspension bridge was closed in 1951, and the school was consolidated in 1956.

The Courthouse
The period after 1869 was one of rapid growth and community development. Upon selection of Powhatan as county seat, commissioners were appointed to select the site for a new courthouse. They may have been concerned more for aesthetic appeal than for accessibility when they chose this hill with its large boulders. The first courthouse, completed in 1873, was described as a large, two-story brick structure with offices below and a courtroom above. It burned in 1885, but the foresight of fireproof vaults protected the records, some dating to 1813.

A second two-story courthouse, built with brick manufactured at a local kiln, was erected on the same foundation. It was recorded that "The Courthouse is like a fortress on a hill with limestone rocks to guard it." The cornerstone of the courthouse standing today was laid May 10, 1888. The Powhatan Courthouse, then, as now, was the focal point of the town.

In 1963, voters decided to consolidate two county seats into one at Walnut Ridge, where a new courthouse would be built. The courthouse at Powhatan was occupied during construction, and in 1966, county officials departed for the last time. In 1968, Governor Winthrop Rockefeller initiated interest in restoration when he sent a team of specialists from Williamsburg, Virginia to visit and evaluate the building's potential.

The Restoration
Shortly thereafter, the Lawrence County Development Council and the Powhatan Courthouse Restoration Committee were formed to raise funds for restoration. The courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in February of 1970. A grant and numerous donations enabled work to begin in January of 1971 with restoration completion in 1973.

Powhatan Courthouse became a state park in 1974. The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism has continued restoration and interpretation of the site. The Lawrence County Historical Society maintains the archives, containing some of the oldest records in the state.

The Jail
Soon after construction of the original Powhatan courthouse in 1873, a jail was built west of the courthouse. Unlike earlier jails, the Powhatan jail was built with native limestone quarried on a farm north of Strawberry.

Later, maintaining security at the jail became a problem. When conditions degenerated and security problems climaxed, the jail was abandoned until World War II when it was used as a canning kitchen. Named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, the jail was restored in 1990.

Courthouse Exhibits
The hallway illustrates the history of Lawrence County from its beginnings to the early years of the 20th century. Exhibits in the two rooms on the main floor depict the history of Powhatan; the first focusing on the arrival of the earliest settlers until 1870, the second emphasizing the growth and progression of the area since 1870. The research room and library, operated by the Lawrence County Historical Society, are also housed on the first floor. Official records of Lawrence County, dating from 1813, are available to genealogists and other researchers.

Upstairs, huge doors open into the courtroom where justice was administered for 78 years. Take time to notice the original jury chairs, the dumbwaiter used to hoist the heavy books and documents from the court clerk's office below to his station in the courtroom, and one of the structure's most interesting architectural features, the ornate pressed tin ceiling.

Facilities
Powhatan Courthouse State Park provides exhibits, a self-guiding mystery tour of the courthouse, access to the archives, and restrooms. Visitors can also visit the jail. Picnicking and camping are not available; however, Lake Charles State Park, 3 miles from Powhatan, offers 93 campsites, picnicking, fishing and swimming in season.

Location
From Hoxie, travel 8 miles north on US 63 to Black Rock, then 3 miles south on Arkansas Highway 25. From State Highway 167 at Cave City, travel 28 miles east on State Highways 230 and 25 to the park. From Hardy, travel US 63 south 30 miles to Black Rock, then south on State Highway 25, 3 miles to Powhatan.

For further information on park programs, fees or hours, contact:

Powhatan Courthouse State Park
P.O. Box 93
Powhatan, AR 72458
Telephone: (501) 878-6794

For information on Arkansas' other fine state parks, contact.

Arkansas State Parks
One Capitol Mall, 4A-900
Little Rock, AR 72201
Telephone: (501) 682-1191

All park services are provided on a nondiscriminatory basis. Arkansas State Parks is an Equal Opportunity Employer.